CHAPTER 297: CHAPTER 296: OPEN DOORS

He leaned back in his chair, spreading his arms in a casual display of ownership. "This company may not be one of those giant agencies, but we’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. A-listers, award winners, directors you’ve only ever seen in interviews. Celebrities you’ve definitely seen on billboards. We’ve launched careers, turned nobodies into headliners." His lips curled slightly as he glanced at Rex, his voice still calm but carrying a deliberate undercurrent. "And that doesn’t happen from sitting in classrooms or reading theories in textbooks."

Daisy’s brows lifted slightly, a polite but clear signal she’d caught the jab. Sophie’s expression didn’t change much, but there was a faint tightness around her mouth. Elara kept her eyes down, though her posture stiffened.

The man went on, as if savoring the sound of his own importance. "It takes experience. People. Connections. And I’ve been in this game long enough to know how to make things happen. You want results, you need someone like me guiding you. That’s the difference between wasting years trying to ’crack in’..." his eyes slid to Rex again, just long enough to make the point, "...and actually making it."

Rex didn’t reply yet. He simply sat back, an easy half-smile tugging at his lips, as if already filing away the man’s little performance for later.

The man’s smile widened, but it wasn’t warm... it was the kind of smile that invited people to admire him rather than feel at ease. He gestured toward the framed photos on the wall, each one a frozen moment of him standing beside various actors, singers, and models. Some were household names, others fading stars clinging to relevance.

"These," he said, tapping one frame with a manicured finger, "are the people I’ve worked with. Some of them came to me with nothing but a dream and a few half-decent headshots. Now?" He chuckled, shaking his head like a proud father. "Now they’re household names. Magazine covers. Sold-out shows. And that," he said, leaning forward, voice dropping just slightly, "is the kind of transformation only someone like me can deliver."

Daisy’s polite nod faltered into a faint, almost invisible tightening of her jaw. Sophie crossed one leg over the other, slow and deliberate, as if marking her territory. Elara’s fingers twisted together in her lap, Hannah looking up... had a sharp, assessing glint that the man seemed too wrapped up in himself to notice.

He kept talking. "Of course, it’s not just about talent. It’s about presentation, about the right opportunities... and about having the right doors opened for you." His gaze dipped ever so slightly toward Sophie’s neckline before returning to her face, the flicker so quick most would miss it. Most... but obviously not Rex.

Rex sat with one arm draped lazily over the back of his chair, expression loose and disinterested, but his eyes tracked every detail. The man’s lingering looks, the calculated pauses, the little verbal cuts aimed at him. He didn’t interrupt... at least not yet. Instead, he wanted to see what he would do.

His eyes flicked to Rex with a faint smirk. "Of course, most people your age don’t really get that yet. Still thinking grades and campus awards mean something. But out here? It’s about survival. It’s about being... someone."

"And," the man continued, spreading his hands theatrically, "if you’re smart, you’ll take advantage of help when it’s offered. Because in this business, opportunities don’t come twice."

Sophie’s lips twitched into a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Daisy shifted in her seat, clearly holding back a comment.Hannah kept looking at her phone. Elara looked away, focusing on a random spot on the floor.

Rex let the silence breathe for a moment after the man’s last words, letting them hang in the air just long enough to feel heavy. Then, with a slow inhale, he leaned forward, elbows resting casually on the table.

"Right," Rex said, his tone mild... a bit too mild. "That’s... quite a résumé you’ve laid out." His gaze drifted over the wall of celebrity photos like he was scanning a restaurant menu, then flicked back to the man. "I’m sure the people in those frames are very grateful for the opportunities you... generously extended."

The man’s smile twitched, but he kept it plastered on. "They are. Every single one of them."

Victor’s smile deepened, and for a moment, the air was warm with self-satisfaction. "They are. Every single one of them. We’ve worked with the biggest names in the industry... actors, musicians, directors... people whose work defines the culture you’re trying to break into. And we’ve helped them in every way possible." He spread his hands, casual, almost magnanimous. "That’s the kind of access you can’t just... stumble into."

"Of course," Rex replied smoothly. "Thing is, we didn’t come here looking for someone to ’open doors’ for us." The lazy air quotes almost looked like a stretch. "We came here because we have a project that already has its own momentum. We’re looking for collaboration, not dependency."

Victor’s jaw tightened for half a second before his smile returned, stretched thinner. "Ah, youth. Always so sure the world will roll over for them. But this isn’t a classroom. This is Hollywood. The city where dreams either come true or eat you alive."

Rex’s lips curled into a thin smile. "Maybe not. But college kids tend to have something you might’ve traded away a while back."

Victor tilted his head. "Oh? And what’s that?"

"A future."

The man’s jaw tightened again, but he smoothed it over with a chuckle that didn’t reach his eyes, as the girls were watching... and if there was one thing Victor knew, it was how to protect an image.

"And," Rex wasn’t done yet, he added, letting the pause sharpen, "I think we both know that cracking into this industry isn’t about who you’ve taken pictures with. It’s about delivering something no one else can. Which is exactly what we’re bringing."

The shift was subtle but immediate... the girls’ eyes flicked toward Rex, their postures loosening as if the invisible weight in the air had shifted sides. Sophie’s lips curved into the faintest smirk, Daisy’s earlier stiffness melted into quiet amusement, and Elara, still subdued, glanced at Rex with something close to relief.

(End of Chapter)